Arsenal Five Points Clear
Arsenal strengthened their Premier League title push with a tense 2-1 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates. Jurriën Timber scored the decisive goal, extending Arsenal's lead to five points at the top of the table. Manager Mikel Arteta admitted "[my heart almost stopped]" after a crucial late save by David Raya kept the win intact.
This victory extends Arsenal's current unbeaten run in the league and solidifies their spot at the top of the table with 64 points. Their closest competitors, Manchester City, sit five points behind, though they have played one game fewer than the leaders. All three goals in the tense North London derby came from corner kicks. Arsenal's William Saliba opened the scoring in the 21st minute before a Piero Hincapié own goal just before half-time brought Chelsea level. This set-piece proficiency is a hallmark of the Gunners' season, with this victory marking the ninth time they've scored a winning goal from a corner. The match-winner from Jurriën Timber was his first goal for the club and came via a header in the 66th minute from a Declan Rice delivery. Arsenal have now scored 16 goals from corners in the Premier League this season, which ties the all-time record for a single campaign. Chelsea's efforts to find an equalizer were hampered when they were reduced to 10 men for the final 20 minutes of the match. Winger Pedro Neto received two yellow cards in rapid succession, the first for dissent after Timber's goal and the second for a rash challenge on Gabriel Martinelli. The crucial stoppage-time save from David Raya that left his manager breathless was a spectacular effort to tip a curling shot from Alejandro Garnacho wide of the post. Raya, who leads the Premier League with 13 clean sheets, also made a key save earlier in the match to deny a header from João Pedro.
